WRECKED IN PORT.
The spacious harbour of Milford Haven, on the south-west of
Pembrokeshire, the finest in the kingdom, and large enough to shelter
the whole British fleet, was, a few months ago, the scene of a most
gallant rescue by a crew of South Wales lifeboatmen. On the 30th of
January 1894, the full rigged iron ship _Loch Shiel_ of Glasgow was
stranded on Thorn Island, at the entrance to the Haven. She was bound
for Australia with a general cargo, and had on board thirty-three
persons, seven of whom were passengers.
As soon as the vessel struck, the captain tried the pump, and found that
there was a quantity of water in the hold, and that the ship was rapidly
sinking by the stern. He at once ordered the boats to be lowered. Then
a mattress was brought on deck, soaked with paraffin oil, and lighted as
a signal of distress. The flare was seen by the coastguard at St.
Anne's Head, several miles away, and they telegraphed the news of the
disaster to the lifeboat station at Angle. Obedient to the summons, the
lifeboat put off to the rescue. Meanwhile several of the shipwrecked
men had been forced to take refuge in the mizzen rigging, and others had
climbed over the jibboom and landed on the rocks.
Presently the lifeboat came dashing along in splendid style. On nearing
the vessel the anchor was dropped, and the boat's bow brought close to
the mizzen rigging, to which six men could be seen clinging. One of
these was an invalid passenger, and great difficulty was experienced in
getting him on board. More than once the men expected to see him lose
his hold and fall into the sea, but he, fortunately, had sufficient
strength to hold on till he reached the arms stretched out to save him.
The remaining sufferers were then quickly taken out of the top, the
anchor was hauled in, and the boat pulled round to the leeside of the
island, to take off the remainder of the crew and passengers.
Mr. Mirehouse, the Honorary Secretary of the Angle Branch of the Royal
National Lifeboat Institution, who had accompanied the boat, and Edward
Ball and Thomas Rees, two of the crew, now landed. Taking with them a
rope and a lantern, they crawled along the edge of the cliff until they
arrived above the spot where the people had taken refuge. They then
lowered the rope over the cliff, and, in spite of the darkness of the
night and the fury of the storm, they hauled up the remainder of the
crew and passengers of the _Loch Shiel_, one of whom, a lady, was in a
very weak and exhausted condition. But the rescue was not yet
completed. The return journey had yet to be made along the narrow and
dangerous pathway, in some parts barely a foot wide. The difficulties
of the passage were further increased by having to guide the rescued and
exhausted persons. To the credit of Mr. Mirehouse and his two men, be it
told, that after great exertions and several narrow escapes they
succeeded in bringing all in safety to the place where the lifeboat was
in waiting.
As a very heavy surf was running, it was decided that the boat should
make two trips. Twenty persons were accordingly put on board and landed
at Angle. Then she returned immediately to the island for the
remainder. At half-past six on the following morning she completed her
second journey, and the whole thirty-three men and women were again in
safety on the mainland. Some of the rescued people were taken to the
residence of Mr. Mirehouse, and were most kindly cared for by him and
his family; others were taken charge of by other residents.
Some time afterwards the following letter was received by Mr. Mirehouse
from the captain of the vessel:--
GLASGOW, 21*st February* 1894.
DEAR SIR,--You and your dear lady, and your household, and all the
inhabitants of Angle, please accept my humble thanks for the great
kindness you all did to me and to my crew and passengers on the 30th and
31st January 1894; firstly, in taking us from the wreck of the ship
_Loch Shiel_, on Thorn Island, and then having us at your house and
other houses in Angle for some considerable time, thirty-three people in
all.--I am, dear sir,
THOMAS DA VIES,
Master of the ill-fated ship _Loch Shiel_ of Glasgow.
A highly gratifying letter was also received by the Honorary Secretary
from the owners of the vessel, conveying their thanks for the services
rendered to the crew and passengers. The crew of the ship also wrote
expressing their thanks to the lifeboatmen for saving their lives, and
to those who afterwards supplied them with food and clothing.
The silver medal of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution was awarded
to Mr. Mirehouse, Thomas Rees, and Edward Ball in recognition of the
bravery displayed by them, in going to the edge of the cliffs and
rescuing the remainder of the passengers and crew, and in afterwards
conducting them to a place of safety.
* * * * *
[The Royal Lifeboat Institution, the story of whose noble work we have
followed, is supported solely by voluntary contributions, and to our
credit as a nation be it said, that this admirable Society has never
appealed in vain for funds to carry on its work. To the usual sources
of revenue--annual subscriptions, donations, and legacies--another has
been recently added, known as "Lifeboat Saturday." Originated in
Manchester in 1891 by Mr. C. W. Macara, it rapidly spread from place to
place, till now nearly every important town, both maritime and inland,
sets apart one Saturday in each year to collect funds for this purpose.
A procession is organised and one or two fully manned lifeboats are
hauled through the streets, and where there is water launched at a
convenient place. The presence of the boats and their crews never fails
to arouse the greatest enthusiasm. The object of this movement is to
further increase the funds of the Institution, that they may be able not
only to reward the crews, but also in the event of loss of life, or
permanent injury to health, to compensate those and all dependent on
them for support. I have just been informed by the Secretary of the
Royal National Lifeboat Institution that already this year (August 1894)
they have granted rewards for saving nearly 500 lives. The lifeboatmen
are all volunteers, and, as we have seen, each time they go out on
service they literally take their lives in their hands. As the
President of the Board of Trade recently said: "I trust the time will
never come when the English public will abdicate their duty and their
highest privilege of supporting such a noble Institution."]
[Illustration: THE END]
PRINTED BY MORRISON AND GIBB LIMITED, EDINBURGH